 | 11/20/2009 Completion of Eola Road Interchange on Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)
Celebrated by Aurora, Naperville and DuPage County Officials
Illinois Tollway Set to Open First All-Electronic Ramp Toll Collection Facility
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Illinois Tollway, DuPage County and City of Aurora officials celebrated the completion of a new, full-access Interchange featuring all-electronic tolling at Eola Road and the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) to help reduce congestion on the local road network in Aurora and Naperville. DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, and Naperville Mayor George Pradel commended the Illinois Tollway for bringing the project in on schedule and under budget by $14 million. The new interchange is scheduled to open overnight tonight, November 20, and is part of the Illinois Tollway’s $6.3 billion Congestion-Relief Program.
“The new Interchange at Eola Road is an excellent example of what government can accomplish when state and local agencies work together,” Acting Executive Director Michael King said. “This project will improve access for commuters from neighboring communities, as well as offer incentive to new business and developments in the area.”
The Tollway was the lead agency on the construction of the interchange which was budgeted at $50 million, but is expected to be delivered well under that estimate at $36 million. Agreements between the city, county and Tollway call for the Tollway to cover up to half of the project’s cost, with DuPage County and the City of Aurora funding the remainder of construction and right-of-way costs.
The new interchange includes four ramps providing access for Eola Road traffic to and from the Tollway via Bilter Road on the north side of I-88 and Diehl Road on the south side of I-88, and will serve daily commuters from Aurora and Naperville as well as commercial truck traffic.
Average daily traffic volumes along the stretch of tollroad between IL Route 59 in Naperville and Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora have grown from a high of about 8,100 vehicles a day in 1970 to a high of nearly 92,000 vehicles a day in 2008.
"This new interchange will ease traffic congestion and improve the quality of life for our residents, which will allow them to spend more time with their families and less time commuting," said DuPage County Board Chairman Robert J. Schillerstrom. "It will also provide economic development opportunities for existing businesses and new businesses that may want to locate to an area with enhanced access to the Tollway."
“Today, I am proud to celebrate the long-awaited opening of the Eola Road Interchange,” said Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, who also serves as a member of the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors. “Not only will this interchange provide Aurora residents and businesses access to Chicago and the suburbs at a fifth Tollway location and help relieve congestion on IL Route 59, it also will eventually bring tax-generating office and retail development to the area.”
Based on projections from the Aurora Economic Development Commission, the Eola Road Interchange will enhance accessibility and facilitate development of a mix of uses rather than mainly big-box distribution space. Over the next 10 years, development of the area surrounding the interchange is expected to include additional industrial warehouse space as well as office, retail and hotel space and has the potential to support thousands of new direct and indirect jobs.
“This project is an excellent example of the continued cooperation between the Tollway and our neighbors, and embraces exciting new technology as we build the first, all-electronic toll collection facility on the Illinois Tollway,” said Illinois Tollway Director George Pradel, who also serves as Mayor of Naperville. “The Eola Road Interchange project is a win-win for Tollway commuters and residents of Aurora and Naperville.”
First Electronic-Only Toll Collection
The new Eola Road Interchange provides all-electronic toll collection, the first on the Illinois Tollway system. With a high volume of I-PASS users on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the new Eola Road Interchange is an ideal location for an I-PASS Only toll facility.
The majority of traffic expected to use the interchange are commuters with I-PASS. I-PASS toll rates will be set at 30 cents for passenger vehicles, and truck rates will range from $1.15 to $3.00 during daytime hours, with overnight discounts offered. Cash-paying customers will have access to existing interchanges at Farnsworth Avenue two miles to the west or IL Route 59 two miles to the east.
Interchange Delivered on Schedule
Work to build the Eola Road Interchange began in mid-April and included rerouting of the Illinois Prairie Path as well as improvements on local roads - Diehl Road, Bilter Road and Eola Road. Improvements included work to resurface Bilter Road to the north, resurface and widen Diehl Road to the south, and widening of the intersection of Diehl Road and Eola Road. All work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
More than 180,000 cubic yards of dirt was excavated to build the new interchange. More than 20,000 feet of storm sewer pipe was used for the drainage systems and over 7,000 cubic yards of concrete and 35,000 tons of asphalt was used to construct the new interchange and ramps. On any given day approximately 100 workers – designers, engineers and construction workers – were working to complete the project.
Part of Tollway’s Congestion-Relief Program
Construction of the Eola Road Interchange on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) is part of the Tollway’s $6.3 billion Congestion-Relief Program, Open Roads for a Faster Future, which will reduce travel times by rebuilding/restoring 90 percent of the system, widening/adding lanes to many miles of existing roads, converting 20 mainline toll plazas to barrier-free Open Road Tolling, and extending I-355 south to I-80 in Will County.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94, I-294, I-80/I-294). Tollway customers save time and money with I-PASS electronic toll collection - Get I-PASS & Get Going!
I-88 Eola Road Interchange Map (PDF)
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